What car company builds a show car....and then makes the production car MORE RADICAL?

[Joseph Houss]

DODGE!

I was lucky enough to be up close and personal with the "FINAL DESIGN" SRT-10 ..... and all I can say is.....


WOW!

BRAVO!

DAMMMMMMMMMMN!

YEEEEEHHHHHHHHAAAAAA!

Once again Dodge has exceeded all expectations! The fenders are now absolutely menacing! And the side openings are MUCH deeper than the original prototype! AND ... the rear spoiler now LOOKS like a rear spoiler!

And with these changes, when you're in the car, you can see those swelling fenders as good, if not better than our current generation Snakes. Monstrous aggressive look!

I defy ANYONE to mistake this ULTIMATE VIPER for anything else!!!!! IT IS 100% VIPER!

..... and by the way.....

you know that ashtray that everyone is saying is a cupholder? ......


Well ...... "It's not a cupholder" (you'll understand soon).

 

[Gary Lashinsky]

Joe, have they changed the original design from what was on display at Detroit as well as other car shows? Sounds very interesting!

 

[Hans Christian]

YEAHHHHH,

Can't wait to get mine. I have loved it since the first preview pics - but now I am ecstatic - DODGE - GO GO GO

Thanks for sharing

 

[Hans Christian]

Joseph,

Forgot to ask - how does the exhaust tips look. Are they still black'd out as we have seen in some pics or have they done any improvements ???

I personally liked the version shown in earlier pics

 

[Craig 201 MPH]

this thread is USELESS without pics

 

[viperweb]

I was just thinking about this very thing. Why would you make a boring looking show car and then make the production version more radical. It's usually the opposite. I'm not complaining, though. I would much rather have it this way.

 

[onerareviper]

Let me get this right... Your telling us the SRT-10 that is being sold to the certificate holders, is significantly better looking than the one displayed at North American International Car Show in Detroit? I thought they weren't going to make any changes? All I can say is this: Thank God. Because no matter what ANYONE says, we all know that previous design was not 'MEAN' enough. Some people were in denial, but I bet EVERYONE will be happy to see some changes. I GUESS THEY CAN ALL THANK US 'WHINERS'....

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

Offensive remarks removed. Show us pics!! And he did with a post which I have no idea how to link to. Thanks I new somebody owns a camera around here.

 

[Y2K5SRT]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Hoosier Daddy:
What is this a public announcement of you sucking up to somebody so you become the VCA president next year. Give us a break please and hold your absurd comments and campaign announcements to yourself in front of your mirror. Show us pics or tell us nothing!!!
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hoosier -

Nothing personal, but I think that comment is WAY out of line. The VCA officers (of which Joe is one) occasionally get a side benefit of their position: They can get a peek behind the curtain. While you say "pictures or nothing", I would MUCH rather hear even little tidbits like this than nothing at all. Can you imagine if we heard that some of the guys saw an "updated" version and refused to tell us what the changes were? We would be seriously insulted. I thank Joe and anybody else can can keep us up to date on the latest Viper happenings.

And as far as Joe running for office, I never heard that he was and can't see how this disclosure would help him even if he did. I don't think Dodge appoints the President, so to whom is he "sucking up"? Besides, I am going to run for it anyway and I have more hair. But not much.

Chris

 

[VOI9 ASP]

I also thank Joe for keeping us up to date on any changes to the SRT or anything Viper. It would be great to see photos but I am sure the officers that were allowed to view the new Viper were told no photos out to the public. Soon enough we will all get to see for ourselves what the final version will look like. I for one can't wait!

Joe, Thanks for all the work you do for the club.

 

[Frank 03SRT]

Same here. Thanks, Joe. That sounds like some great news. Gets the old excitement dohicky working.

 

[Joseph Houss]

Wow, Hoosier, you must have read my mind!

NOT!


I have been involved in VCA activities for over 6 years, and never realized I could use my PERSONAL opinions to sway an election! ..... did it work?

I am sorry you feel the way you do about my conscious effort to reveal as much as I know about the SRT-10. If you would like to talk about it, please feel free to call me at 732-531-4600 (days).

The event I attended was NOT just for National Officers. It was an annual challenge that is between the Illinois region and DaimlerChrysler. The DC execs always enjoy the day, and ALL attendees had the same opportunity as I to look, feel, touch and open every crevice of the SRT.

Seriously, I have been looking at the same SRT pictures, and show car that everyone else has, and when I was LUCKY enough to participate in this autocross, I was LUCKY enough to see the latest production SRT in black.

I started an additional topic that has as many images as I could quickly convert to a useable size and format.


IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, it is absolutely breathtaking.

 

[Hans Christian]

Joe,

During your look over did you notice how the exhaust tips looked. Are they still black'd out as we have seen in some recent pics or have they done any improvements ???

I personally liked the version shown in earlier pics

 

[SRT10]

Joe did you say BLACK? I've been waiting to see an official picture of a Black SRT for quite some time and still no luck. I guess I'll have to wait for VOI. Hey Cornsnake, if your not there I'll take some "official" pics of the Silver and Black!

 

[jwwiii]

RT-10;

Thanks for offering to take pics of Silver and Black! If I can arrange it, I really hope to be there to see (heck.. DRIVE) the SRT and see the "phantom" colors for the first time.

If the SRT's are really on the line, why all the secrecy? "On the line" seems pretty darn "final" to me; If it's what is going to come to us, why not let us see it?

I can understand the "unveiling" at VOI for the tangeability wow effect, (touch, drive, sounds) but the photo secrecy still eludes me.

The Viper is going to be awesome!

Jim

 

[VOI9 ASP]

Joe... Are the photos of the SRT in the thread below the most current photos of the car you viewed? Is this the final version?
http://vca1.viperclub.org/ubb/Forum21/HTML/000648.html

 

[Joseph Houss]

Jerry,

I would have to say yes, to the two down at the bottom (the ones with the beige background.

Just take a look at the depth of the side scoop, it's huge!

Does anyone have a shot similar to that of the original? Can we see 'em side by side?

 

[Mike Brunton]

Joe,

You're holding back!

WHO WON THE AUTOCROSS?????

Did you get to drive the SRT? If so, what were your impressions of handling/acceleration???

 

[Joseph Houss]

Hi Mike,

Daimler execs won the autocross.

Both teams did fantastic!

Unfortunately, I did not get to drive the SRT, but we did get to see the car in action, and believe me, with one spirited lap (not even close to full punch) on the autocross, it pretty darn beat the best time of the day!

Take a look at the new thread I started for pics:
http://vca1.viperclub.org/ubb/Forum21/HTML/000671.html#3

 

[Mike Brunton]

Joe,

Hang your head in shame!!!!!

P.S. The pics look GREAT! Thanks for posting them!

 

[Steve Ferguson]

Joe did not get to drive the SRT/10, but I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity (comes with years of knowing who to ask!). ALL I can say is HOLY $hit!

I pulled off the throttle because it was WAY more powerful than any Viper I had ever driven, and I did not want to be the one to do any damage to a pre-production vehicle. When I turned the wheel this Viper responded better than ANY Ferrari or Porsche I have ever experienced, and holy mother of god, when I hit the breaks I thought my teeth were going to fly out of my mouth and hit the windshield!

Now, since I was a guest, I conducted the drive with subtle force, but I did manage to watch Herb drive the SRT/10 (in a very moderate level)over the same course that he had driven the GTS around (in a very spirited manor), and without pushing the SRT/10, he was able to drop over 3 full seconds!

More detail will come in the next VCA Notes.

 

[SRTRICK]

Mike - the brakes are evidently absolutely tremendous, because the car that Joe & Steve saw / drove had just returned from doing 24 hours straight at - Nelson ledges I think - racetrack and the brakes appeared to still be just fine.

The exhaust outlet still has the black rectangles, the designer who was working on the tweaking wanted to do a stainless bezel instead but they had just run out of $$$ to do another trim piece like that. The side panel / exhaust cover is now aluminum rather than composite & evidently the black rectangle is there primarily to avoid discoloration of the paint near the tips. They also had to add a crease just below the "Viper" logo to avoid oil canning of the aluminum.

I got to sit in the car & the fenders are very pronounced from inside the car, to my mind much more so than on the original - they have a far more angular look that you would expect from outside the car.

The engine sound was absolutely great, by the way!!

The stereo was indeed very impressive.

 

[Mike Brunton]

Thanks Rick!!!

One question - the GTS side covers/exhaust covers are Aluminum. You said they switched to Aluminum from Composite - do you mean the other way around?

I am sure the black trim at the back is due to heat issues... I am sure the aftermarket will be quick to come out with parts that will address these areas and make them look nice.

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

Thank you Joe, once again, you have been there for us from day one of the certs. Handling problems for two days straight at that time for guys with cert. problems. I thank you, and please ignore the occaisional nattering naysayers of negativity, I think they are just beginning to realize what they have passed up and are becoming a little irritable.

 

[JonB]

I just saw this thread, and THANKS to Joe for the post.

Hoosier, you owe Joe a public apology. And, you owe it to yourself to apologize so that 90% of your fellow owners here are not offended by your unwarranted attack.

I told myself many months ago that I would love everyone who could be a potential costomer. So Hoosier, I LOVE YOU MAN, but you blew it on Joe Houss. Call his phone number and apoligize.

 

[JonB]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mike Brunton:
- the GTS side covers/exhaust covers are Aluminum. You said they switched to Aluminum from Composite - do you mean the other way around? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The sidesills have alkways been and still are aluminum.

The door surround (hockey stick) has been a composite, but is now aluminum. This "door sill" versus "side sill" is the area where ZAF will have a field day dressing it up.

The adhesive better stand up to high temps !

 

[Mike Brunton]

Thanks Steve.

I am drooling. I am especially happy to hear the brakes are "right".

I can't wait to see the naysayers retreat into the shadows when they learn BEYOND ANY DOUBT that the SRT is *everything* the old Viper was and a LOT more.

 

[SRTRICK]

The designer stated that the creases in the side panels were added because when they switched from composite to aluminum they had a problem with the aluminum "oil-canning" - you draw your own conclusions.